User manual RANE ME 30B

[. . . ] If you feel you want more information on setting up your curves, please read on. If you are familiar with equalizers, then hook-up, plug-in, turn-on and go! WEAR PARTS: This product contains no wear parts. Manual-1 FRONT PANEL DESCRIPTION MASTER CONTROL 4 2 0 10 6 8 ±12 ±6 OL LEVEL BYPASS RANGE + 6 4 2 1 0 1 2 4 6 ­ 25 31. 5 40 50 63 80 100 125 160 200 250 315 400 500 630 800 1k 1. 25k 1. 6k 2k 2. 5k 3. 15k 4k 5k 6. 3k 8k 10k 12. 5k 16k 20k + 12 8 5 2 0 2 5 8 12 ­ ME 30B MICROGRAPHIC EQUALIZER POWER 1 2 3 4 5 LEVEL control: Sets the level of signal coming into the ME 30B. Turn this control down if the OverLoad LED lights up steadily (meaning too strong an Input signal). Since actual unity gain depends on varying slider settings (which is why we have not marked a unity gain position on the front panel), use the BYPASS switch to determine the exact unity gain position of this LEVEL control by comparing EQ and BYPASS volumes. [. . . ] It is not necessary to short any inputs to ground--it doesn't hurt, it's just not necessary. Use pin 1, or the shell, for shield ground. Balanced output requires using pin 2 or tip, and pin 3 or ring for the signal. The signal exists differentially between the two balanced leads; ground is not involved. For hum-free systems ground is used only for shielding. EXPANDING Expanding and/or daisychaining the Inputs and Outputs normally uses the ¼" jacks. Three parallel Input connectors allows driving a second signal processor or amplifier without special cabling. SIGNAL LEVELS Signal levels from -10 dBV to +4 dBu are considered normal and within range (at least 20 dB of headroom exists above these levels). Do not directly connect microphones into the ME 30B. These require an external mic preamp. IMPORTANT NOTE CHASSIS GROUNDING If after hooking up your system it exhibits excessive hum or buzzing, there is an incompatibility in the grounding configuration between units somewhere. Your mission, should you accept it, is to discover how your particular system wants to be grounded. Try combinations of lifting grounds on units that are supplied with ground lift switches or links. If your equipment is in a rack, verify that all chassis are tied to a good earth ground, either through the line cord grounding pin or the rack screws to another grounded chassis. Units with outboard power supplies do NOT ground the chassis through the line cord. Make sure that these units are grounded either to another chassis which is earth grounded, or directly to the grounding screw on an AC outlet cover by means of a wire connected to a screw on the chassis with a star washer to guarantee proper contact. Manual-3 OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS Insuring the proper level of gain though the ME 30B is just as important as adjusting the equalizer bands. Improper gain distribution is a common cause of loss of system headroom and less than optimum noise performance. The OVERLOAD LED informs of an imminent or passed overload to the equalizer. Occasional blinking of the OL with program source material is fine, indicating optimized signal-tonoise performance of the ME 30B. Run the ME 30B with an input signal that is as hot as possible without the OL lighting more than occasionally. The BYPASS switch allows comparison of equalized versus un-equalized signal. It is also useful in adjusting the level of the ME 30B for unity gain and best signal-to-noise performance. The gain of the ME 30B is optimized when there is no sound level difference between the bypassed and the active positions. [. . . ] Equalization can be like spice in the hands of a master chef. A little goes a long way in improving sound quality, too much and the mix is spoiled. If modest amounts of equalization (6-8 dB) do not solve the problem, it is best remedied by other means. Avoid adding large amounts of boost below 63 Hz, especially when using vented bass cabinets. [. . . ]